If you are displeased with the look and shape of your body, you are not alone. Body contouring is becoming the go-to choice for men and women looking to achieve a more shapely, toned physique that cannot be achieved through traditional diet and exercise. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2018 more than 250,000 liposuction procedures were performed in the U.S., making it one of the most requested cosmetic surgeries. Similarly, the popularity of nonsurgical body sculpting techniques is also on the rise among those who desire little or no downtime in their quest for an improved figure.
The board-certified surgeons at The Peer Group in Florham Park, NJ are highly skilled and experienced in performing the latest body sculpting procedures and techniques. Their vast knowledge allows them to expertly explain the various types of body sculpting solutions that are available to Greater New Jersey patients.
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What body sculpting does
Do you wish that your tummy was flatter? That your thighs were thinner? That your butt was a bit fuller? Maybe you’ve experienced dramatic weight loss and are bothered by the excess skin that remains. Such concerns can be addressed and corrected by body contouring procedures. These are ideal for reducing the appearance of excess fat and skin in targeted areas of the body so that a smoother and more toned silhouette can be achieved. The waist, back, lower body, neck, arms, and even the face can be made to look shapelier with contouring procedures.
Liposuction is still considered the gold standard when it comes to providing patients with dramatically contoured results. However, surgery is not favored by or suited for everyone. For those patients, nonsurgical body contouring treatments may be a less-invasive alternative. The best candidates for any body contouring procedure are healthy, nonsmoking adults who are able to maintain a stable weight, as well as make a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, and fitness choices. It is also important that they be able to set realistic expectations and goals for the outcome of their procedure. The board-certified plastic surgeons at The Peer Group can determine what body sculpting procedures are best to meet the needs of and create the desired results for each patient.
Nonsurgical options
CoolSculpting
As its name implies, noninvasive CoolSculpting works by freezing fat cells in problem areas beneath the skin with a controlled cooling agent. These may include the inner and outer thighs, back, stomach, knees, below the chin, the upper part of the arms and around the armpit area (also known as bra fat), on the lower half of the buttocks, and the hips and flank area.
This innovative, in-office procedure is quick and effective. Greater New Jersey patients relax in a treatment chair before a special gel pad and applicator are applied to designated areas. With vacuum suction, the applicator draws the skin and underlying fat into the device. This may cause a slight pulling or pinching sensation, along with an intense cold feeling during the procedure, which is temporary and should subside. Most patients are able to scroll through social media on their phone, read a book, or even nap during their CoolSculpting session. In fact, since no sedation or sutures are required, many patients schedule treatment during their lunch break or following their workday. Each CoolSculpting application takes around 35 minutes and several areas can be treated in a single treatment session.
Once frozen, the underlying fat cells die and are converted into a liquid that the body eliminates naturally. Within about 12 weeks, the slimmer, more contoured results of CoolSculpting can be seen in the treatment areas.
SculpSure
While CoolSculpting freezes the fat cells, with SculpSure a hyperthermic cosmetic laser heats pockets of fat that break down before being eliminated by the body. SculpSure has been proven to destroy up to 24% of the fat cells in each treated area without surgery. This quick, 25-minute procedure at The Peer Group’s New Jersey office requires no anesthesia to treat as many as four areas of the body during a single session.
Patients are made to feel comfortable before a specially designed SculpSure “treatment window” is placed against the skin, followed by an applicator containing the laser device. The heat created by the laser warms and destroys the targeted fat cells, which are expelled from the body over a 12-week period. There is no downtime associated with SculpSure and most patients can resume their regular activities immediately afterward. Typically, New Jersey-area patients can expect to see more contoured results within three months of their SculpSure procedure.
Surgical options
Liposuction
Liposuction is a tried-and-true way to sculpt targeted areas of the body by removing unwanted fat. Numerous areas, including the stomach, hips, thighs, and buttocks, can be treated to create a slimmer, more contoured shape. During this outpatient surgery, patients are placed under general anesthesia and small incisions are made on the skin in designated treatment areas. A thin tube called a cannula is inserted to break down the fat cells, which are removed via a surgical vacuum before the incision is closed.
Surgeons commonly use a technique called tumescent liposuction, during which a solution featuring saline, the numbing agent lidocaine, and a medication called epinephrine which works to control bleeding, is injected into the treatment area before the fat is removed.
In another technique, called laser-assisted liposuction, an energy burst is delivered to the treatment area, which works to loosen and melt the fat so that it is easier to remove. Depending on the patient and the area of the body that is treated, it is possible to extract several pounds of fat during a single liposuction surgery.
Is body contouring for you?
Who doesn’t want a smoother stomach, shapelier hips, and more toned thighs? There are several styles of surgical and nonsurgical body contouring procedures available to give you the improved figure you desire. Schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon at The Peer Group in Florham Park, NJ to learn how these innovative procedures can help you look and feel your best.
